The ongoing layoffs have left many employees disheartened and crushed, with some sharing their journey of loyalty and layoff on social media platforms. Comedian Aiyyo Shraddha, who had an unusual career path from a techie to a radio jockey, TV presenter, actor and performer, shared her feelings in a ‘laid off’ video, putting the phenomena into perspective to boost the morale of all those, who are finding it hard to move on from their now ex-companies. 

The video begins with Shraddha sharing her honest feelings on being laid off. While she is sad, the comedian seemed more worried for the HR, who had to go through a tumultuous time. From inclusion and diversity, the HR leaders had to change gears to adversity and expulsion, at a time when they had worked so hard towards creating the right culture, flexible hours and engagement activities for their employees. 

Shedding light on the happiness quotient of employees and its importance, she shared how it is an intrinsic emotion and no company can infuse it into an employee or inculcate it as part of the HR’s KRAs. If only the focus was on keeping employees, rather than happiness, the situation might have been different. 

While most firms in their branding usually share how their employees are like family to them, the comedian breaks the bubble saying that it’s given birth to a whole lot of confusion between hiring and adoption. “You didn’t adopt me but hired me. Real families just take each other for granted but don’t let go of each other (sic),” she said in the video. 

The irony and the reality of the current layoff saga is that employees who gave 20-25 years to a single company for their continued success, were left with no access to the company’s network within days to even bid goodbye to their peers and colleagues. The comedian emphasised on the harsh reality that while our jobs take up the maximum time and space of our lives, the companies takes no time in letting the employees go.

Before getting laid off, “The company was a huge part of my life. Other than my government ID, the company’s name is everywhere: T-shirt, bag, water bottle, cap, coffee mug, mask, everywhere. It is easier to forget my ex than it is to forget the company,” said Shraddha in the clip and also shared the ways one can overcome this period with hope and the right mindset and a few quirky tips. One should say no to all company merchandise as they move on to the next company. “Only package, no baggage.”

Giving a glimmer of hope to all the techies out there, she shares that there will always be work in the tech industry as long as there are apps. 

With the world experimenting with OpenAI chatbot ChatGPT, which is said to take away our jobs, she believes that artificial intelligence can never take over human curiosity. “AI can only do what human beings have been doing. Only humans can do what no human being has ever done before (sic).”

Amid these massive layoffs, blaming technology is not the right approach. It is time we take a look at our education system and do a ‘course correction’, change the way we hire employees and how we rush to change our policies after looking at our competitors. 

In a concluding note, Shraddha beautifully says that dreams and career shouldn’t be put together in the same sentence and it’s no more about being an employee but a vendor to a company. 

To listen to more such stories on layoffs, hiring and talent retention, join us at People Matters Talent Acquisition Conference on February 9 at Ritz Carlton, Bengaluru.